poverty is abundant

Look, Robert, this is where you're going to be living!

Inquisition Museum

I've been slacking with my Peru posts, so I thought I'd do a little catching up today. These pictures are from the Museo de la Inquisicion in Lima. I did not want to go to this place. I tried everything I could to argue and get out of it, but my powers of manipulation failed me. I didn't want to go because I read in the guidebook that they had wax figures being tortured how they did it during the Inquisition. That's just not my idea of a fun afternoon-looking at people being tortured. So anyway, I sucked it up and went with everyone else, but I did avert my eyes in the "torture room." I had kind of a hard time in the dungeons too because I knew that they were the actual dungeons (the museum was built where all of this actually occured) and that real people had been held captive and tortured there. Because I am slightly dramatic, I imagined that I could hear the people screaming. I know-drama queen, right!

My mom and me in front of the museum. I just noticed that the "a" in la has fallen over. This location in Lima was one of two tribunals that King Phillip II set up in the Americas. The other one was in Mexico.

When someone was accused of a crime (ex. witchcraft, blasphemy, homosexuality, etc.) it was done anonymously so they never knew who had accused them. They were then taken away and locked up to await their trial. Their property was also taken to pay for the "court costs" and to pay for their needs during their stay in the dungeon.

The accused were outfitted in a lovely robe and cap with a devil on it. I believe if they were actually executed, the cap was hung up in their local church with their name on it so that their family and everyone else would always know what happened.


They would then bring the accused in front of the judges to hear the charges. I think the judges either acquitted (very rare), suspended (be on your way but we're keeping an eye on you), found guilty and punished or found guilty and killed. There may be other verdicts, but I don't remember.

I think the torture was not so much punishment as it was a way to get a confession out of you in order to free your soul. I know, sounds kinda fishy, huh! I think this particular activity was meant to dislocate your shoulders or something. I think they also did it by the ankles too.

The rack was the method of choice.

I think this is called garroting. Sorry-I'm not up on my torture terminology.

This one is self-explanatory.

Oh, look! It's President Bush waterboarding a terrorist!

There was a group of nuns who went through before us. They seemed out of place in a museum about Catholic torture.

Parasite Watch 2008

I am pleased to announce that the parasite seems to be on its way out . . . literally. Ew, TMI! TMI! Sorry about that-I'm just a little excited to start feeling better. :)

giardia

Just one more reason why you should be very careful with what you eat and especially what water you drink in foreign countries: it's official, I have giardia. I have to go get some antibiotics. Here's what giardia looks like:

Please ignore my pants

Here's a picture of my Aunt Mary, me, and my mom at Machu Picchu. I bought these ugly pants specifically for this trip but ended up leaving them in Peru because I was thoroughly unimpressed with them. They were too short and just all around looked funny. Anyway . . . that's Machu Picchu behind us. Ignore the pants and be impressed by the scenery.

Let me once again reiterate that nothing really prepares you for seeing Machu Picchu. No picture can possibly do it justice.

Museo de Antropologia Dos

At the same museum we saw an example of Incan record keeping. Instead of writing down the events that happened, they tied knots in string.

The last little gallery had paintings by modern Peruvian artists. These pictures don't do the colors justice. They were absolutely beautiful. Notice the potatoes in the pictures. I'll do a whole other post just about potatoes.

Museo Nacional de Antropologia

One of the museums we went to in Lima was the Anthropological Museum. It was pretty interesting. It had all sorts of ancient pottery:

This was one of my favorites.

Oh look! It's a statue of the ugliest dog in Peru's great-great-great-great-great grandfather! I was beyond excited to see another example of the hairless Peruvian dogs.


Whoopsies! How did this get in here?

A man and his llama.

because you have waited so patiently

Remember this little guy?


Well, here he is in his full body glory. Pay particular attention to the lovely ensemble and the mohawk not just on his head, but also on his tail.

Peru is pretty much overrun with dogs, so we saw lots of them, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that this is truly the ugliest dog in Peru. Is it just me, or is he getting to that point where he's so ugly he's kinda cute?

Hola mis amigos!

We made it to Peru and already I'm finding lots to blog about. For example, we went to some Incan ruins called Pachacamac and saw what is possibly the ugliest dog in Peru. It's some kind of hairless dog:


We (obviously) have internet in our hotel in Cuzco, so there will be more to come!